Dark Moon
by zynaofthenight
Summary: Because Siara was a daughter of Artemis. Because Siara wasn't supposed to exist. Because Siara was her best friend. Ivy had two options: kill Siara…or let the Hunt be ripped apart forever. Oneshot.


_An attempt at an original cliché. Because Siara was a daughter of Artemis. Because Siara wasn't supposed to exist. Because Siara was her best friend. Ivy had two options: kill Siara…or let the Hunt be ripped apart forever. Oneshot._

**[A/N]: **My evil mind forced me to do this. Please don't kill me.

But yes, this is about a daughter of Artemis. However, it's an oneshot, and narrated…in third person…and NOT in the daughter of Artemis's POV.

Eh. Why am I doing this?

*slams head on desk*

Rated T for murder and a slight bit of suicide. Oh, wow. I feel so creepy and dark writing this stuff…

zynaofthenight doesn't own PJO (good riddance too)…

* * *

Dark Moon

* * *

Ivy was one hundred and seventeen years old when Artemis arrived that lonely night, carrying a bundle of clothes.

The summer night was warm, and the stars shone brightly. The moon, however, was dark and ominous, black clouds covering most of the silver shine. A frightening silence pervaded throughout the atmosphere, like a storm was coming soon.

Ivy was standing watch in front of the camp when she heard a rustle and a small _oomph_. She whirled around immediately and pointed her bow at the dark shape moving in the trees. "Who goes there?"

"Put down your bow, Ivy. It is me, Artemis."

"My lady!" she gasped, dropping the bow. "Forgive me, I did not see you—"

"No matter. You did well, Ivy. You responded to your instincts and if I had been a threat, the camp would have been well defended."

Artemis stepped out of the darkness now, and she noticed that her lady was carrying a small bundle. Ivy had been a Hunter long enough to sense what was inside. The body heat, the small mewling noise—it was a baby.

"My lady," she said, panic constricting her throat. It could not be, it could not be…

"A newborn I found in the woods." Artemis's voice was calm and collected. "When she grows up, I might recruit her. But first, I must find a home for her."

She breathed a sigh of relief. So her lady had not…

"You may wake the others now, Ivy. We are moving camp."

She nodded, and went to find Thalia. The moon darkened above, and she never noticed Artemis cradle the baby and call her "my daughter."

(How could she have been so foolish?)

* * *

Ivy was one hundred and thirty two years old when she found Siara. The girl was sitting by a tree, meditating. Ivy moved closer, and the girl opened her eyes.

She had auburn hair and silver-yellow eyes, Ivy noticed. She seemed to glow in the moonlight. But Ivy dismissed it as simply coincidence that this girl resembled Artemis. The concept of her lady having a daughter was rather impossible.

"Hi," she told the girl. "What's your name? Mine's Ivy."

And that was how they started their friendship. Artemis recruited Siara, and the girl rose quickly in rank. When Thalia died in a monster attack many years later, Artemis immediately appointed the girl as lieutenant and in turn, Siara appointed Ivy as second in command.

She missed the proud gleam in her lady's eyes; she missed the motherly look her lady gave her best friend. That night, the moon was nearly completely covered with dark clouds.

(How could she have been so naïve?)

* * *

Ivy was two hundred and four years old when she found out.

They were hunting an ancient monster in New Hampshire, when Siara received a blast of poison in the face from the beast.

Ivy rushed to the aid of her friend, but Artemis was there already. "Don't die, don't die," her lady whispered fervently, rocking the girl softly.

At that time, Ivy thought Artemis was acting rather strangely. Her lady mourned all Hunters, and loved them dearly, but she never was so devoted to one Hunter like she was to Siara. But Ivy dismissed the thought. Siara was the lieutenant—of course she was extremely important.

Artemis did something—she wasn't sure what—but silver moonlight shone on Siara and the girl healed, until she was perfectly fine. Healthier looking than she had ever been.

And at that moment, Ivy saw a misty sign on top of Siara's lieutenant circlet, a sign that she would never forget.

_Siara is the daughter of Artemis_.

The baby that night, so many decades ago. The resemblance between her best friend and her lady. The moon that night was completely covered with black clouds, and no light shone upon the world.

(How could she have been so stupid?)

* * *

Ivy was two hundred and ten years old when the Hunt began going astray.

She suspected that Artemis and Siara never knew that Ivy knew. The previously meaningless extra care and concern Artemis gave Siara now had an undertone to it.

But now, Hunters were falling in love and drifting apart…and Artemis—Artemis turned a blind eye to it all. Hunters who fell in love were not stripped of their immortality. Boys began following the Hunt without horrible consequences.

The Hunt, her family, her _life_ was falling apart.

And Ivy knew the cause.

She had two options: kill Siara…or let the Hunt be ripped apart forever. That day, an eclipse occurred, plummeting the world in darkness.

(And sometimes, even though one is immortal, they don't have eternity to make choices)

* * *

Ivy was two hundred and fifteen years old when she cornered Siara in the forest.

They were running a race, speeding past trees and tiny streams, laughing at each other. But this was no time for games, no time for cheer.

She drew her knife and leapt onto the branches of the tree above her best friend, hating what she had to do.

"Come and get me!" she called, and Siara leapt after her, laughing.

The branch snapped, and both of them tumbled towards the ground, unhurt due to their reflexes. Before Siara could move though, Ivy plunged the knife through the heart of the daughter of Artemis, watching coldly as the blood poured out and finally, the girl gasped one last time and died.

She cleaned her knife and went back to her lady, screaming that a mysterious stranger had killed Siara. No one accused her, because it was widely known that they were best friends. Artemis grieved for a month, but finally arose and appointed Ivy as the new lieutenant.

The moon was back to its usual silver, shining brightly.

(The Hunt was pieced back together again, but what a price!)

* * *

Ivy was five hundred and thirty six years old when she confessed.

It wasn't the monster that ended her life, though the poisoned wound helped. She lay, gasping in pain, when Artemis came and tried to heal her.

"No," she murmured, and stopped her lady. "I don't want to go on like this."

And everything came spilling out: how she knew Siara was a daughter of Artemis, how she had seen the breaking apart of the Hunt, how she had killed Siara in her desperate attempt to save her family. And as she spoke, Artemis's eyes glowed with fury, and her lady stiffened.

She didn't blame the goddess. As Ivy finished her tale, something inside her snapped, and she couldn't live anymore. She grabbed her knife and ended it all, the moon shining in her eyes as she took her last breath.

It was a pure white moon.

(She's going straight to Hell, but at least she knows she saved the Hunt)

* * *

**[A/N]: **Er…yeah. This is so depressing. Huh. Review please?


End file.
